6 ideas for a sleep-friendly bedroom: for a sound night's sleep

We’ve spent the last 6 months dreaming up a big new feature at Calm and we’re excited to share it with you today.

It’s called Sleep Stories and is a unique new way of winding down every evening. 

Sleep Stories are soothing tales that mix music, sound effects and world class voice talent to help you drift off into dreamland.  

We believe there should be a more natural way for people to fall into a deep and restful sleep every evening. Our goal is to bring deep sleep and joy to millions of people around the world. 

Fittingly, we’re sharing our top 6 tips for creating a sleep-friendly bedroom to ensure a restful slumber every evening -

Invest in sleep props.

Invest in sleep props to help you on your way. Hang black out curtains to keep early morning light out during the summer months, and try earplugs if you are easily disturbed by noises.

Keep your bedroom decor simple and calm.

Avoid clutter, which can trigger your stress response, and make sure work papers are out of sight.

Opt for blue surroundings.

Opt for blue walls, or flashes of blue in soft furnishings: looking at this color can lead to a drop in your heart rate and blood pressure, and gentle blue hues are widely believed to have a soporific effect.

Keep a note pad or journal handy.

Keep a note pad or your journal by your bed. Then, instead of lying awake, worried you will forget something in the morning, you can write it down and allow the thoughts to pass.

Invest in a SAD lamp.

Invest in a SAD lamp which you can set to wake you up gently. Its light mimics sunlight and has been found to reduce the winter blues. It’s also a far more tranquil start to the day than a sudden blast of reality from your radio, or worse still, the blaring siren of a snooze alarm.

Listen to a Sleep Story.

Sleep Stories are particularly effective if you suffer from an overactive mind that goes into full whirr mode the minute your head hits the pillow. The soothing voices will send you off to dreamland in no time.

To celebrate we’ve made all the Sleep Stories in the Calm app completely free for a limited time. There are currently 22 to choose with new ones added all the time - stay tuned!

Why not try it out before bed tonight and let us know what you think?